The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird
by Diane Connell, Hannah Monson (narrator)

Twelve year old Ricky Bird felt like she mostly fit in before her parents split up. Then her mom moved her away from the home and school she knew, to a questionable apartment complex that seems to come with Dan, her mom's new boyfriend of just weeks. The boyfriend says things that make Ricky uncomfortable, touches her inappropriately, like it's an accident, and Ricky wants nothing to do with this man. When Ricky's little brother, Ollie, becomes critically ill, Dan is the one watching over Ricky.

Ollie is a adorable, a wise old man in a little boy body. I could spend all day listening to Ollie. But Ricky is a wonder, too, creative, smart, imaginative, and has a future as a writer. She loves to write and her facilitator, Nicole, encourages her to do so during a summer workshop. A favorite thing that Ricky and Ollie like to do is have story time, with Ricky making up stories to help Ollie through his bouts of sickness and to help him fall asleep.

It didn't take long for me to realize this wasn't a lighthearted story and it became difficult for me to listen to it once I was aware of how much Ricky needed her mom (crushed by exhaustion, grief, and living at the hospital with sick Ollie) and dad (living with his pregnant girlfriend). As much as I wanted to scream at Ricky's mom, to notice her daughter, to be there for her daughter, I could see how she was swept up in something that left her empty of what was needed to spread herself even thinner. So much was happening to Ricky and she was trapped in so many ways, with no escape but that which her mind could invent for her. I'm glad I stuck it out with this story because I needed to be there to see how things came together. Be aware that this story deals with very troubling subject matters. For me, the bullying, of young and old, was just one of the many situations that were so well expressed but also so painful to watch. The narration of the story is fabulous.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio (Australia) and NetGalley for this ARC.

I saw this book on NetGalley and was drawn in by the cover, I then seen it was for fans of Eleanor Oliphant and A Man Called Ove, neither of which I’ve read but I have heard lots of good things for, so I requested the audiobook and was luckily approved!

The narrator of this book did an exceptional job, they were easy to listen to and made the book a joy to listen to. When I began listening to this story, I realised Ricky Bird was a 12 year old (practically 13!) girl and I thought, oh is this for me? I’m not a fan of YA but this book turned out not to be that.

It was so much deeper than that. This book does come with many trigger warnings such as Child Abuse, Child Rape, Eating Disorder, Child Cancer, Child Death and Attempted Suicide. All of which you can tell why this story turned into such a deep, heart-breaking book and took me by surprise as with the bright cover of the book, I expected happiness, a nice easy story about a separated family and a teenager dealing with that move and her parents breaking up, but there was also the element of Identity Crisis, the question of Who Am I? Was I born into the right body. Do I want to be a girl?

It’s probably not the right thing to say it was a joy to read as so many hard topics are covered but this was a good story. The only thing I found hard was connecting to the characters but I think that was mainly down to the age for me. I’m a 29 year old (practically 30!) woman reading the thoughts and story of a 12 year old. It made it hard to relate to. One highlight for me was the relationship between Ricky and her younger brother, felt the bond being strong and I thought it was a nice aspect to the story, that we got to see their closeness.

What a story! I really thought this would just be a quirky little tale going in but it was so much more than that!
Ricky Bird a 12 year old and her brother Ollie has moved to a bleak neighborhood following a divorce. Ricky's mom is dating Dan and Ollie is having health issues. Ricky's power is to harness stories to protect herself as she makes allies and enemies in the new neighborhood. This book has reminded me how much puberty sucks and how little sense everything makes. How much you actually need your parents while it gets easier and easier to push them away. My heart broke for Ricky and I shuddered remembering how vicious pre-teens and teenagers can be. While there are some darker themes in the book, I think this book can be a valuable asset to start a conversation with a struggling pre-teen.
The narrator, Hannah Monson, does an excellent work for this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the advanced listening copy for this one.

This is a book that I'm going to be thinking about for a long time, one of those books that dig in deep and stay there forever.

While it started a little bit slowly at first, which made me unsure if I was going to like it (especially because at first, I found Ricky to be annoying), as I continued to listen to the audiobook, I couldn't help but fall in love with Ricky and all the side characters, rooting for Ricky throughout every step of the way.

Having Ricky as the main focus of this story was so well done, especially as things start to unravel towards the end and I realized what was going on; the clues were all there, but rarely anything was explicitly said because she herself didn't really know what was going on. I thought this was such a unique and interesting way to go through these plot points, especially a lot of the very heavy and deeply upsetting topics that this book handles.

That being said, this book is not going to be for everyone; there are a lot of heavy and upsetting topics that could potentially be triggering for some people - at some points it felt like it was too much, but I suppose that's what could make it so upsetting and realistic.

Overall, this was a beautifully heartbreaking story that was so well done and that I liked a lot.

Beautiful story full of complex emotions. I thought this book was uplifting, real and just made my heart full. I will definitely be recommending this book!!

When I read in the synopsis of the comparison to A Man Called One and Eleanor Oliphant, I was intrigued. And while I can see the similarities, unfortunately I preferred those books.
Ricky Bird is a young child who has recently moved to Camden from Brixton with her mother and younger brother Oliver. Ricky does not like the move as it means less time with her father, more time with her mothers boyfriend Dan, making new friends at a time when puberty is rapidly approaching and Ricky (previously called Vicky) is having some internal conflicts of gender identity. Shortly after the move, Oliver gets sick and is in the hospital leaving Ricky under the care of Dan and with a lot of free time as it is summer break. Ricky seems to have a very active imagination and so at times the book can be confusing, and I think that was my main issue, it was hard to follow at times, and with this being an audiobook, it wasn't like I could easily turn back and refresh my memory. The story does seem to come together more at the end but honestly by that point it was too late to sway my opinion of this being average.
I do think the audiobook performance was well done. Again, had I read the actual book I may have had a different opinion of the book itself. I'm giving this a 3 star rating but I'd say its worthy of 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Australia Audiobooks for. this ARC.

Thank you to @simonschusterau @netgalley for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Heartbreaking but, real. I haven’t stopped thinking about this. If you work with kids, read this book. Connell did a fine job in allowing the characters to express themselves. Ricky was a girl who went from being a precocious tween to a desperate teenager. Her vivid imagination helped her cope with divorce parents, brother’s illness, unsavoury friends and puberty. Ricky’s character of naïve turned uncontrollable and unreliable girl was authentic. Connell did such an incredible job in depicting Ricky’s experiences. As someone who works in child welfare, this was a credible and true-to-life story. Both Connell and the narrator did well in exploring serious themes, such as anorexia, death and others, without being blatant. A highly recommended and thought provoking read.

This book broke my heart. So much pain and suffering. There is so much in this book. It’s a slow start but you keep turning the pages because you must find out what is going to happen next. Ricky poor girl.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
If you were charmed by The Curious Incident, laughed with Eleanor Oliphant and cried over A Man Called Ove, you will love Ricky Bird.

‘No one loved making forts more than Ricky. A fort was a place of safety and possibility. It shut out the world and enclosed her and Ollie within any story she wanted to tell …’

Ricky Bird loves making up stories for her little brother Ollie almost as much as she loves him. The imaginary worlds she creates are wild and whimsical places full of unlimited possibilities.

Real life is another story. Ricky’s father has abandoned them and the family has moved to a bleak new neighbourhood. Worse still, her mother’s new boyfriend, Dan, has come with the furniture.

But Ricky Bird is a force to be reckoned with. As the mastermind of so many outlandish plots, imagination is her best weapon to restore her world to rights. As her father used to say, if you can spin a good yarn you can get on in life.

Ricky knows that better than anyone but despite her best efforts everything in her world starts to spiral out of control. Until a gypsy prediction that someone will come along – a he or a she who is like a gift – comes true.

But no one, not even Ricky, could imagine the consequences.

Beautifully written, heartbreakingly funny and deeply moving, this book has already been compared to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Lost and Found, Shuggie Bain, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and A Monster Calls. But Ricky’s story is all her own – and it will stay with you long after the last page.

Well, what to say? I was indeed charmed by Eleanor Oliphant and The curious incident, and if those are the expectations set of this novel they’ve certainly been achieved. An endearing yet heartbreaking story of a young girl coming to terms with life in a new place with a new “step father” a mother who, due to her sick brother isn’t spending much time with her. And of course how she discovers herself throughout all of the trials and tribulations that life brings her way. The love between Ricky and Ollie broke me. Such a beautiful ya book, written with courage, tenacity and heart. The narration was good too!

The story of Ricky Bird is one that many tweens may identify with as Ricky enters puberty, feels left behind when her family splits, is unsure of her birth gender, and finds herself in all kinds of improper situations. Having no choice but to move with her mom and brother to a run-down town after her parents' divorce, Ricky's vivid imagination is the only thing that keeps her sane while it also aids her very ill younger brother, Ollie, to stay positive.

Some of the daily activities of Ricky's life are common in the lonely pre-teen lives of everyday children of divorce. There are so many responsibilities that single parents must cope with that some seemingly fine children are left to cope on their own. Although she seems fine, Ricky is genuinely not okay and needs someone to listen to her fears and help her deal with her feelings of being left behind. This is where Jack, a young pre-teen, appearing to have the same life situation, comes into the story.

This book is well written, and I found the narration by Hannah Monson to be very good. She really brought the characters to life, and I was able to follow the storyline easily with her reading.

This book brought me back to my childhood, although I didn't have the same experiences as Ricky. The sense of being left behind, of having to share one parent's attention with other siblings while she tried her best to keep her head above water and keep her children safe and fed. Connell's writing was on the mark as it expressed each character's feelings (yes, even sleazy Dan's, her mom’s boyfriend). While I'm not a fan of cursing, of which there is plenty, I found it to be necessary for the reality of Ricky's experiences.

Well written, believable and heart breaking, this novel touches many aspects of what pre-teen and teens are experiencing every day.
My thanks to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for this ARC. This is my honest opinion on this novel.

4.5★s
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird is the third novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Diane Connell. The audio version is narrated by Hannah Monson. Moving from Brixton to Camden, just as the summer holidays begin, is absolutely the last thing that twelve-year-old Ricky Bird wants, but she has no choice. Her mum is moving her and her little brother Ollie to King’s Crescent Estate to be near her boyfriend, sleazy Dan, which means Ricky and Ollie will be a long way from their dad.

On their arrival, they meet a neighbour girl, Samia who seems shy but sweet. Their flat is a smelly tip, so Ricky takes Ollie to the tiny, ugly playground nearby while mum cleans up. They encounter a local tough girl whose fat old white Staffie instantly falls for Ollie, as all dogs do, but Caitlin Cloney isn’t won over.

The only glimmer of hope in this depressing place is what seems to be a community garden in which an elderly man digs and weeds and plants. Ricky and Ollie loved gardening with their dad at the allotment: maybe they could help out here?

Another positive is the Summer Creative Workshop at the Community Centre, where the facilitator, Katie encourages attendees to write stories, but also to keep their own personal book, to write candidly for themselves. Ricky’s talent for imaginative story-telling is lauded here. While Samia is there, quietly participating, Caitlin isn’t, but Caitlin’s snobby, pretty best friend, Abbie is: it seems Ricky will find herself in the company of these girls whether or not she wants to.

In encounters with estate youths, including Caitlin’s older brother, Ricky clearly sees the danger; being in Dan’s company, she finds distasteful; with old Mr Snow in the garden she feels safe, it’s her refuge from the world: “The garden was the only place where she could drop the burden of her disintegrating life and connect with the bustle and hum of all that grew there” But is danger where she perceives it to be?

Moving away from friends is already major, but Dad’s visits are few and far between, and then comes the unwelcome news that his girlfriend is expecting a daughter, a child Ricky is sure will replace her in dad’s attention and affections. When Ollie becomes genuinely unwell, their mother is thoroughly distracted by never-ending hospital visits, leaving Ricky in Dan’s care, something she escapes whenever possible.

So Ricky isn’t always where her mother thinks: time spent at the Creative workshop is positive; that spent in Caitlin’s company further undermines her shaky self-esteem and poot body image. A chance encounter with a fortune teller predicts a good friend in her near future, who turns out to be Jack, a local boy with similar family problems of his own. And the less her mother is around, the more trouble Ricky seems to attract, even while trying to be good and kind and thoughtful.

Connell’s depiction of her naïve young protagonist feels authentic and credible: a pre-teen facing several life challenges, needing support that is absent due to unfortunate circumstances. Ricky is disturbed about the changes puberty brings. It gradually becomes apparent that she is an unreliable narrator, engaging in wishful thinking around various aspects of her life.

The stories Ricky creates for Ollie about his illness are clever but demonstrate her denial of a reality she doesn’t want to face. In this story of a fractured family, Connell explores complex themes, including gender issues, paedophilia, anorexia, vigilante action, mental illness and premature end of life: a thought-provoking, moving and ultimately uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.